WOW. That is all for right now--I've got photos (not, not taken at the game, of course) and more, but I figured I should go out briefly, but post something technically on the actual day that the Blackhawks won the first Stanley Cup game played in the United Center (I knew that, that's why I had to take photos beforehand) and their first Stanley Cup Final win in my lifetime (last was 1973...somehow I didn't think of this before the game).
I didn't hear any cheering erupt in my neighborhood (or see any Blackhawks gear there today--strange, since I saw four jerseys in the previous week), so I want to find a place where more people care...
edited to add: was in Wicker Park (main intersection with lots of bars) for literally five minutes. If you're not drunk, that's more than enough time to spend there on a Saturday night. Also, not really that many people in Hawks clothes around.
**********
edited to add, two. I almost wanted to post instead of the above: I wish I'd picked a better time (than the hugely exciting and historic playoffs of my favorite team) to be hit with crippling depression. Uh, yeah. Just can't get much of anything done these days (except for a successful story and literary reading for my non-sports work). Computer trouble (still!) is a big part of it, but I haven't had enough enthusiasm for this blog (or much of anything, besides reading) recently. Besides a core group of supporters (thanks!) I'm not sure who reads this thing or why I'm writing it. I know I'm just supposed to be doing this because I like it, not to get certain approval, but, well, I wish I liked it more now. We'll see...
tickets! (no of course I don't have any)
Yeah, no luck getting tickets to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Upper-level seats were $500-ish on TicketExchange after the conference win Sunday and still are. I doubt other ticket services are much better, and Craigslist is exceedingly strange: a mix of very expensive tickets with $100-120-ish ones. If anyone legitimately can buy those, I'd go in for one, but I'm not sure what to believe on CL...especially since I saw Hawks vs Sharks tickets still listed after the series sweep on Sunday...and some on Monday...and some on Tuesday. A few minutes ago, I found this:
Wait, someone had to write out "laugh out loud"?!
Anyway, it's not looking too hopeful. I'm acclimating myself to the possibility of not getting to games 1 OR 2. (Doesn't help that I have to hear about someone who doesn't even have the Hawks as their #1 team, who's getting to fly here from Canada and see both Game 1 & 2, in the 100 level, while bloggers who've blogged about the Blackhawks dozens, hundreds of times this year can't get into the game. [And they're not a journalist or celebrity.] But oh well, I should have put aside money for finals tickets every time I was going to a regular-season game...) I'd totally be up for a ride to Philadelphia if anyone was driving...and if tickets were easier to get there, which I'm guessing they're not.
*****
If anyone wants to do a favor and be an amazing friend who'll get, I don't know, free advertising on this blog or a free place to stay on Chicago visits or homemade dinner--I need someone to DVR the games (or burn copies of DVRs). Still no NBC, still no functioning TV/DVR, and, well, can't buy a new one right now for some reason. I have ways to watch the games, of course, but I'd rather not wait until the Stanley Cup 2010 box set comes out (wait, do they make SCF box sets?). It's gnawing at me to think of all the apathetic Chicagoans (and there are some...I may have gotten a little cranky at someone on a social network about this) who have the ability to watch and record the games but won't, when I want to, and can't.
*****
I'm actually in a much better mood than this post indicates, because hey! I've signed back into Blogger again and can upload things. I'd be posting epic posts catching up on the weekend but I'm just posting this quickly in the midst of writing my story for this event in Chicago Friday which I've plastered all over the internet multiple times, but not on this blog yet. My first literary reading (and I call it "performing") in almost FIVE YEARS! I hope to get back into reading and even hosting an event or two (hmm, has anyone ever done a hockey blogger literary show? Maybe in Canada?) before long...
hastily made Chicago-Philadelphia preview
Or not a preview (I'm afraid to make predictions, and I leave the previews to the experts. Oh, and I've got till Saturday anyway) so much as a quick reaction to the Philadelphia Flyers winning the Eastern Conference Finals tonight, in Philly. I was rooting more for Montreal to make it--partly for an Original Six SCF matchup (the last was Canadiens-Rangers in 1979), partly for the Blackhawks to avenge some SCF losses of the past, partly because I thought the Habs were easier to beat. But their Cinderella run finally ended, and now we've got the Flyers in the finals for the first time since 1997. And both teams have a large percentage of fans who weren't alive the last time their team won the Cup.
And of course the horror we should never, ever forget--THE FLYERS ARE ONLY IN THE PLAYOFFS AT ALL BECAUSE OF A SHOOTOUT ON THE LAST DAY OF THE REGULAR SEASON. AND NOW THEY'RE IN THE STANLEY CUP FINALS. That's reason enough for any non-partisan hockey fan to root for the Blackhawks,
By the way--posting from Flickr again (I knew I had an obnoxiously orange Philly photo somewhere!) rather than signing into Blogger because I need to take care of some computer stuff before I risk my computer freezing and losing things again. Also, wish I hadn't written such a negative piece yesterday, although it still hurts that I couldn't get to that game, and I can't quite get past it unless I get to a Stanley Cup game. Maybe. I did wake up feeling great about the Blackhawks but still lousy personally--won't dwell on that here. A few more thoughts:
As someone with nowhere to be tomorrow morning, I was REALLY hoping for tonight's game to go to, I don't, know, quadruple overtime? But Flyers had to have a 3-2 lead and score an empty-netter at the end...just like Chicago.
It was sad to realize that this is the last game of the NHL season where I didn't really care who won. From now on, every game will be too stressful to truly enjoy. (As with some things I said yesterday...yeah, 28 other fanbases wish they had this "problem.")
Seriously, STFU about the Hossa "curse," people! If you need something else to throw at Chicago fans, how about that Chicago sold Stanley Cup finals tickets before even the second round was over...and tonight it looked like Philadelphia SCF tickets weren't even for sale yet. Hubris! That's as bad as showing up to Game 4 against the Sharks with brooms...oh, wait.
Next year, I'm rooting for the SCF to be my team versus whichever team has the most apathetic fanbase, and is located on a Megabus/Greyhound route. (Go Atlanta!) Because yeah, it's probably cheaper to travel to another city than to try to buy tickets in Chicago (or Boston).
Yes, I desperately want to go to Game 1 (or any, but especially Game 1), if there's any possible way to get into the building for under $200. Because I hate that I saw two terrible playoff games, and missed Sunday's. And that I've put so much effort into this blog all year, and...But I think longtime fans deserve to see these games MUCH more than a relative newcomer like me does. Unfortunately it's not about who's deserving, it's who has the ridiculous amount of money for tickets. Those longtime fans would need to have been putting away money since the last Cup win...
Honestly, 99% of my anger and resentment will be going towards Chicago fans who can get into games. Any left over goes towards the Flyers and their fans.
I think we're going to have a good Chicago-Philadelphia mayoral food-bet-thing (better than Vancouver's, anyway). A Flyers fan asked what Chicago's equivalent to Tastykakes is, and I'm still pondering that (not just any Chicago food, but something "sweet" and/or "packaged")...
And of course the horror we should never, ever forget--THE FLYERS ARE ONLY IN THE PLAYOFFS AT ALL BECAUSE OF A SHOOTOUT ON THE LAST DAY OF THE REGULAR SEASON. AND NOW THEY'RE IN THE STANLEY CUP FINALS. That's reason enough for any non-partisan hockey fan to root for the Blackhawks,
By the way--posting from Flickr again (I knew I had an obnoxiously orange Philly photo somewhere!) rather than signing into Blogger because I need to take care of some computer stuff before I risk my computer freezing and losing things again. Also, wish I hadn't written such a negative piece yesterday, although it still hurts that I couldn't get to that game, and I can't quite get past it unless I get to a Stanley Cup game. Maybe. I did wake up feeling great about the Blackhawks but still lousy personally--won't dwell on that here. A few more thoughts:
As someone with nowhere to be tomorrow morning, I was REALLY hoping for tonight's game to go to, I don't, know, quadruple overtime? But Flyers had to have a 3-2 lead and score an empty-netter at the end...just like Chicago.
It was sad to realize that this is the last game of the NHL season where I didn't really care who won. From now on, every game will be too stressful to truly enjoy. (As with some things I said yesterday...yeah, 28 other fanbases wish they had this "problem.")
Seriously, STFU about the Hossa "curse," people! If you need something else to throw at Chicago fans, how about that Chicago sold Stanley Cup finals tickets before even the second round was over...and tonight it looked like Philadelphia SCF tickets weren't even for sale yet. Hubris! That's as bad as showing up to Game 4 against the Sharks with brooms...oh, wait.
Next year, I'm rooting for the SCF to be my team versus whichever team has the most apathetic fanbase, and is located on a Megabus/Greyhound route. (Go Atlanta!) Because yeah, it's probably cheaper to travel to another city than to try to buy tickets in Chicago (or Boston).
Yes, I desperately want to go to Game 1 (or any, but especially Game 1), if there's any possible way to get into the building for under $200. Because I hate that I saw two terrible playoff games, and missed Sunday's. And that I've put so much effort into this blog all year, and...But I think longtime fans deserve to see these games MUCH more than a relative newcomer like me does. Unfortunately it's not about who's deserving, it's who has the ridiculous amount of money for tickets. Those longtime fans would need to have been putting away money since the last Cup win...
Honestly, 99% of my anger and resentment will be going towards Chicago fans who can get into games. Any left over goes towards the Flyers and their fans.
I think we're going to have a good Chicago-Philadelphia mayoral food-bet-thing (better than Vancouver's, anyway). A Flyers fan asked what Chicago's equivalent to Tastykakes is, and I'm still pondering that (not just any Chicago food, but something "sweet" and/or "packaged")...
Stanley Cup Finals! (from a sore winner)
Yes, the Chicago Blackhawks have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1992! With an improbable (at least to all the people who said Blackhawks or Sharks in 7) 4-game sweep over the San Jose Sharks! (Who did not "choke" in the playoffs--c'mon, the Hawks games were close, and they nearly swept the Red Wings--but jokes about Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton's underperformance in this series are fair game). THE ONLY SWEEP OF THE 2010 PLAYOFFS!
And since I last posted, the Cincinnati Cyclones won the ECHL Kelly Cup after an incredible playoff run! And the AHL playoffs--well, aren't going quite how I'd like.
But...uh, I'm so negative about so many things right now I shouldn't post at all (I just thought I should get something up quickly). The two Blackhawks playoffs games I went to, one in each of the first rounds, were absolutely horrible. I didn't know if I'd make it to this round but then a ticket opportunity seemed to come up. I spent the week thinking I was going and then found out last-minute (well, too late time and money-wise to try to get another ticket) that I DIDN'T have the ticket. I was really hurt and angry. I definitely would have gone to Cincinnati for (what turned out to be) the Kelly Cup game if I'd known I'd wouldn't be going to Blackhawks. (Well, I maybe could have anyway, but I felt a little tired and I didn't think the weather there was good enough for a daytrip.)
Ending up seeing neither game (on top of a really horrible week personally, and I keep thinking I might get a little consolation if I post things like that on Twitter, but I don't) kind of made me the bitterest person on earth today. Not gonna lie, if I couldn't be at the United Center, I was hoping for a loss. I suppose this makes me a terrible person and bad sports fan, but it is what it is. (Oh, and still no NBC reception at home so I couldn't record the game either.)
I'm grudgingly starting to feel happy about the win, combined with hopelessness at whether I can get to a Stanley Cup game. After blogging about hockey nearly every day for over six months, after attending lots of home games and traveling to see the Blackhawks in five other cities, I don't know if I can get to a game. I guess I shouldn't worry about that now. I know, I know, fans of 27 other teams would love to be having this dilemma right now...
The hate the Blackhawks are starting to draw (from other than the few typical rivals) is starting to get to me (seriously, what is up with some of the Penguins fans?!), and the Marian Hossa curse jokes were tedious months ago. That's when to get off the Internet for a while, I suppose...so I will.
Oh, and the reason this has a nonsensical photo blogged from Flickr (though it is from my first Blackhawks game at the United Center) is because every time I've signed into Blogger and tried to upload this weekend, the computer has frozen and I've had to shut it off and lose stuff. I tried to get a Chicago Tribune typo posted right after the Friday game, no luck. I'll try again later. If anything, my computer is worse now than it was before I got it "fixed" weeks ago.
And since I last posted, the Cincinnati Cyclones won the ECHL Kelly Cup after an incredible playoff run! And the AHL playoffs--well, aren't going quite how I'd like.
But...uh, I'm so negative about so many things right now I shouldn't post at all (I just thought I should get something up quickly). The two Blackhawks playoffs games I went to, one in each of the first rounds, were absolutely horrible. I didn't know if I'd make it to this round but then a ticket opportunity seemed to come up. I spent the week thinking I was going and then found out last-minute (well, too late time and money-wise to try to get another ticket) that I DIDN'T have the ticket. I was really hurt and angry. I definitely would have gone to Cincinnati for (what turned out to be) the Kelly Cup game if I'd known I'd wouldn't be going to Blackhawks. (Well, I maybe could have anyway, but I felt a little tired and I didn't think the weather there was good enough for a daytrip.)
Ending up seeing neither game (on top of a really horrible week personally, and I keep thinking I might get a little consolation if I post things like that on Twitter, but I don't) kind of made me the bitterest person on earth today. Not gonna lie, if I couldn't be at the United Center, I was hoping for a loss. I suppose this makes me a terrible person and bad sports fan, but it is what it is. (Oh, and still no NBC reception at home so I couldn't record the game either.)
I'm grudgingly starting to feel happy about the win, combined with hopelessness at whether I can get to a Stanley Cup game. After blogging about hockey nearly every day for over six months, after attending lots of home games and traveling to see the Blackhawks in five other cities, I don't know if I can get to a game. I guess I shouldn't worry about that now. I know, I know, fans of 27 other teams would love to be having this dilemma right now...
The hate the Blackhawks are starting to draw (from other than the few typical rivals) is starting to get to me (seriously, what is up with some of the Penguins fans?!), and the Marian Hossa curse jokes were tedious months ago. That's when to get off the Internet for a while, I suppose...so I will.
Oh, and the reason this has a nonsensical photo blogged from Flickr (though it is from my first Blackhawks game at the United Center) is because every time I've signed into Blogger and tried to upload this weekend, the computer has frozen and I've had to shut it off and lose stuff. I tried to get a Chicago Tribune typo posted right after the Friday game, no luck. I'll try again later. If anything, my computer is worse now than it was before I got it "fixed" weeks ago.
fun with translations, playoffs edition
There's a lot of intentional sports humor out there on the Internet, and I'm trying to keep up with favorites like Down Goes Brown, The Heckler, Intent to Blow, etc. (linked on the sidebar, okay?), but I stumbled across a few other things Thursday...
I. Great Moments in Canadian Sports Journalism
Toronto sports reporter Damien Cox's tweet below:
linked to this; it was passed around on Twitter with "his best column ever"-type comments. Ooops!
II. Here are the darkest hour of the playoff suck
Windy City Hockey has been back for the playoffs and posted this great bit recently, When Translation Goes Horribly Right, on Googling the Finnish word for hockey (jaakiekko) and "Antti Niemi" and then Google-translating the Finnish articles back into English. Producing amusing results, like the piece he linked on the Blackhawks-Sharks series mentioning "evil Nabokov." Of course I had to try it...
The story below was not the only one translating San Jose Sharks into "San Jose State." That is a real school with a hockey team, but...Also, does "goalie" translates to "paint" somehow? Please click on these (you'll find the title I used--I'm not sure what it was supposed to say).
So, "Vancouver did not win even once kotihallissaan" and "we were unable to perform swing at home."
Also, "Antti Niemi was shot in black and blue"; and re: injured Canuck Sami Salo, "Quality to injury ounasteltiin everything from testicular crushed."
These are nice too:
Now, I've tried fun-with-translation before, but it's just been going to the French version of the official Canadiens website, translating it into English, and comparing it to the English version. It's amusing on more of a clumsy-wording level, not a "what the hell were they trying to say?" level. I tried it today but didn't get much...except for a wholly unnecessary translation:
III. Green!
This new "Green League" stuff debuted on NHL.com today (or maybe yesterday). Not actually funny, and I'm glad they're doing whatever it is they're doing...but I wondered, is this background supposed to give the feel of reading a website on recycled paper? Or maybe it's just me, I'm no design expert. (Also, no real reason for that photo--I'd rather see "Niedermayer's electric car" that's mentioned!)
I. Great Moments in Canadian Sports Journalism
Toronto sports reporter Damien Cox's tweet below:
linked to this; it was passed around on Twitter with "his best column ever"-type comments. Ooops!
II. Here are the darkest hour of the playoff suck
Windy City Hockey has been back for the playoffs and posted this great bit recently, When Translation Goes Horribly Right, on Googling the Finnish word for hockey (jaakiekko) and "Antti Niemi" and then Google-translating the Finnish articles back into English. Producing amusing results, like the piece he linked on the Blackhawks-Sharks series mentioning "evil Nabokov." Of course I had to try it...
The story below was not the only one translating San Jose Sharks into "San Jose State." That is a real school with a hockey team, but...Also, does "goalie" translates to "paint" somehow? Please click on these (you'll find the title I used--I'm not sure what it was supposed to say).
So, "Vancouver did not win even once kotihallissaan" and "we were unable to perform swing at home."
Also, "Antti Niemi was shot in black and blue"; and re: injured Canuck Sami Salo, "Quality to injury ounasteltiin everything from testicular crushed."
These are nice too:
Now, I've tried fun-with-translation before, but it's just been going to the French version of the official Canadiens website, translating it into English, and comparing it to the English version. It's amusing on more of a clumsy-wording level, not a "what the hell were they trying to say?" level. I tried it today but didn't get much...except for a wholly unnecessary translation:
III. Green!
This new "Green League" stuff debuted on NHL.com today (or maybe yesterday). Not actually funny, and I'm glad they're doing whatever it is they're doing...but I wondered, is this background supposed to give the feel of reading a website on recycled paper? Or maybe it's just me, I'm no design expert. (Also, no real reason for that photo--I'd rather see "Niedermayer's electric car" that's mentioned!)
news of the minors: podcast, Oklahoma City Barons, etc.
So, of course I'm following the ECHL finals and AHL conference playoffs (no sweeps this round, and curiously, two matchups that feature Montreal vs Dallas affiliates [Cincinnati vs Idaho, Hamilton vs Texas]). And doing a not-so-good job of following the other minor leagues (I do know the Fort Wayne Komets of the IHL won their third consecutive Turner Cup. Congrats to them, but now I'm even more disappointed that Indiana is the only Midwestern/Great Lakes state I didn't see a hockey game in this season).
And yesterday I put in a brief appearance on The Rink Podcast (with my phone acting up a little) to talk Chicago Wolves and other mostly non-NHL stuff. This show is by @Tapeleg, of the blog Jerseys and Hockey Love, which I've followed for a while because it's by someone who likes hockey road trips and minor leagues. Other guests discuss Predators and Bruins.
Yesterday was also the day the Amarillo Gorillas ceased operations in the Central Hockey League. I heard via hockeyfights.com. They had been in the CHL since 2002, but Amarillo, TX has had minor league teams since 1996. (I've never seen teams in these leagues; I definitely want at least one trip to Southern hockey markets next season.) Quickly grabbed the shot above--by the way, does anyone archive websites of defunct sports teams?
In happier news, yesterday Oklahoma City announced the name, logo, and jersey designs for their new AHL team (and Edmonton Oilers affilate--formerly it was Springfield): the Oklahoma City Barons. The name wasn't a well-kept secret, though their were rumors of oths. I've kept up via @puckchk (a Blackhawks fan in OKC) on Twitter. Here's the team's new official Twitter. I got all these within an hour or so of the press conference:
Someone immediately went to the new Facebook page to express their unhappiness with the name; this is just...wow. (By the way, if you see the "People Like This"? I'm pretty sure FB didn't use to post full names when you'd click on a page without being signed in. One of the many annoying changes to the site; I'd prefer not to post strangers' full names here.)
Presumably OKC will be division rivals of the Chicago-area and Texas teams. Checking my Flickr stats yesterday, I noticed views from an OKC board, linking to one of my Wolves photos (I've really got to get more of my minor league shots up. And my NHL ones too!)
The Barons logo was not on theahl.com yet; here's their banner with the 29 teams that operated in the 2009-10 season. There'll be other changes (Charlotte, and I'm still not clear on the Albany/Lowell/Devils affiliate situation) before long.
And yesterday I put in a brief appearance on The Rink Podcast (with my phone acting up a little) to talk Chicago Wolves and other mostly non-NHL stuff. This show is by @Tapeleg, of the blog Jerseys and Hockey Love, which I've followed for a while because it's by someone who likes hockey road trips and minor leagues. Other guests discuss Predators and Bruins.
Yesterday was also the day the Amarillo Gorillas ceased operations in the Central Hockey League. I heard via hockeyfights.com. They had been in the CHL since 2002, but Amarillo, TX has had minor league teams since 1996. (I've never seen teams in these leagues; I definitely want at least one trip to Southern hockey markets next season.) Quickly grabbed the shot above--by the way, does anyone archive websites of defunct sports teams?
In happier news, yesterday Oklahoma City announced the name, logo, and jersey designs for their new AHL team (and Edmonton Oilers affilate--formerly it was Springfield): the Oklahoma City Barons. The name wasn't a well-kept secret, though their were rumors of oths. I've kept up via @puckchk (a Blackhawks fan in OKC) on Twitter. Here's the team's new official Twitter. I got all these within an hour or so of the press conference:
Someone immediately went to the new Facebook page to express their unhappiness with the name; this is just...wow. (By the way, if you see the "People Like This"? I'm pretty sure FB didn't use to post full names when you'd click on a page without being signed in. One of the many annoying changes to the site; I'd prefer not to post strangers' full names here.)
Presumably OKC will be division rivals of the Chicago-area and Texas teams. Checking my Flickr stats yesterday, I noticed views from an OKC board, linking to one of my Wolves photos (I've really got to get more of my minor league shots up. And my NHL ones too!)
The Barons logo was not on theahl.com yet; here's their banner with the 29 teams that operated in the 2009-10 season. There'll be other changes (Charlotte, and I'm still not clear on the Albany/Lowell/Devils affiliate situation) before long.
playoff headlines, finally
I have a backlog of these from the entire NHL playoffs (and possibly a few from the regular season). Stupid computer trouble tonight sapped my energy to write an essay I needed to, so just this quick post for now. A nice thing about these unpredictable playoffs--new stars have emerged! AND NEW PUNS!
Two consecutive playoff shutouts for the Flyers' Michael Leighton. Flyers up 2-0 over Canadiens. And now have a ridiculous 13 unanswered goal streak. This was the headline after the first game, pointed out to me by @antistrophe on Twitter (from the Flyers' website, not the NHL.com front page--I'd been forgetting to check team sites):
Meanwhile, another fantastic Blackhawks win to put them up 2-0 over Sharks--but no amusing headlines, dammit! I'll just have to be content with their tying the NHL record for most consecutive playoff road wins (7), and setting a new franchise record with that.
Two consecutive playoff shutouts for the Flyers' Michael Leighton. Flyers up 2-0 over Canadiens. And now have a ridiculous 13 unanswered goal streak. This was the headline after the first game, pointed out to me by @antistrophe on Twitter (from the Flyers' website, not the NHL.com front page--I'd been forgetting to check team sites):
Meanwhile, another fantastic Blackhawks win to put them up 2-0 over Sharks--but no amusing headlines, dammit! I'll just have to be content with their tying the NHL record for most consecutive playoff road wins (7), and setting a new franchise record with that.
brief pointless announcement
Okay, there's some juicy news and debates and such going on in hockey right now I've got to address, and I've found some new things to add to the blogroll, but I'm just popping in from my isolation for this terribly self-referential item:
No, I haven't created an all-sports Twitter account (sorry, non-sports-fan followers of @kofchicago), I just thought I should take @alittlechippy as a screenname. Because IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME TO DO SO TILL I'D DONE A BLOG OF THAT NAME FOR OVER SIX MONTHS. Yup, feeling more than a little stupid about that. Also...a little hurt that no one else tried to get the name. Just think, any of my readers could have taken it and sold it to me at a profit (Twitter is free so I'm not sure "profit" is the correct term there).
Anyway, I haven't wanted to put a hockey background on my main account, much less change my name to a Blackhawks/hockey-specific name like some people I follow are doing now. So it was fun to create another account. I think I'm going to use it to list (but not follow) all the good sports-related Twitter accounts I can find, post links to blog entries and to a sports-related photo of the day (from my Flickr account, most likely.) Also, it'd be a fun place to post a hockey card or other scan of the day...those Hockey Scouting Reports I have from twenty years ago need to go somewhere. Add it if you want a quick way to keep up with what I'm doing (I haven't gotten around to a Facebook fan page for A Little Chippy, but given the Facebook exodus right now I'm not sure I want to bother), but I use @kofchicago to actually interact (i.e. that's where I'd rather follow people).
No, I haven't created an all-sports Twitter account (sorry, non-sports-fan followers of @kofchicago), I just thought I should take @alittlechippy as a screenname. Because IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME TO DO SO TILL I'D DONE A BLOG OF THAT NAME FOR OVER SIX MONTHS. Yup, feeling more than a little stupid about that. Also...a little hurt that no one else tried to get the name. Just think, any of my readers could have taken it and sold it to me at a profit (Twitter is free so I'm not sure "profit" is the correct term there).
Anyway, I haven't wanted to put a hockey background on my main account, much less change my name to a Blackhawks/hockey-specific name like some people I follow are doing now. So it was fun to create another account. I think I'm going to use it to list (but not follow) all the good sports-related Twitter accounts I can find, post links to blog entries and to a sports-related photo of the day (from my Flickr account, most likely.) Also, it'd be a fun place to post a hockey card or other scan of the day...those Hockey Scouting Reports I have from twenty years ago need to go somewhere. Add it if you want a quick way to keep up with what I'm doing (I haven't gotten around to a Facebook fan page for A Little Chippy, but given the Facebook exodus right now I'm not sure I want to bother), but I use @kofchicago to actually interact (i.e. that's where I'd rather follow people).
History Will Be--OH EFF YOU
Not much to say now. My beer-of-cautious-optimism which became my beer-of-triumph is now my beer-of-shame-and-regret. (Er, it's just one large beer, which I didn't open till after the game. Let me get back to it.) I've had a post-game phone call with my Boston friend Dan (the one who's also a Blackhawks fan). I've read plenty from Bruins and Flyers fans and neutral observers on Twitter.
To blow a 3-0 series lead and then a 3-0 GAME LEAD, and lose both 4-3--yes, I guess that is historic. The Bruins didn't try hard enough, the Flyers wanted it more, road teams are doing spectacularly well these playoffs, Bruins have trouble with game 7s, NHL.com ruined it with all their hype about a possible huge comeback (actually, I thought that would jinx it)---whatever. I'm disappointed to say the least. I'm thrilled the Bruins made it as far as they did given how rough the second half of their season was...but once they did make it that far I was hoping again my long-ago dream of a Blackhawks-Bruins Stanley Cup final.
Instead, the 7th and 8th seeds in the East will square off for who gets to face the 1st or 2nd seed in the West. For a while I've been disgusted at the thought of the East winning...even more so now. I agree with the people joking that San Jose-Chicago is the de facto SCF, or that the East finals should be cancelled to make it the SCF. But then...no matter how bad their regular season record or how they just barely squeaked into the playoffs (Flyers because of a friggin' SHOOTOUT, on the last day of the regular season--I wanted them to lose just for that injustice)...Montreal and Philadelphia have been ferocious in the playoffs and I'm a bit scared.
The Bruins fan side of me is crushed, but the history-and-statistics-loving side of me (the same part that, when the Chicago Cubs lost horribly in their home opener in Atlanta, was amused at how, at least, it was a record-setting loss) is impressed that the sixth and seventh 3-0 playoff deficit comebacks in professional hockey history happened in the same week and involved losses for the Bruins and their ECHL affiliate, the Reading Royals. (The Bruins AHL affiliate in Providence didn't make it to the playoffs this year, for the first time in many years.) At least the Red Wings didn't do it this year too.
I want to say thanks to the Bruins fans whose blogs and Twitter have kept me informed and entertained this year, my first season truly following the team. I'm disgusted with how it ended, but I'm not a bandwagon fan; I'm not bailing on them. (Next season I'm following and sort of rooting for the Atlanta Thrashers in the East because of their Chicago Wolves affiliation, but Boston is my East Coast favorite.)
edited to add: READ THIS from Hockey Gone Wild. READ IT NOW...please.
To blow a 3-0 series lead and then a 3-0 GAME LEAD, and lose both 4-3--yes, I guess that is historic. The Bruins didn't try hard enough, the Flyers wanted it more, road teams are doing spectacularly well these playoffs, Bruins have trouble with game 7s, NHL.com ruined it with all their hype about a possible huge comeback (actually, I thought that would jinx it)---whatever. I'm disappointed to say the least. I'm thrilled the Bruins made it as far as they did given how rough the second half of their season was...but once they did make it that far I was hoping again my long-ago dream of a Blackhawks-Bruins Stanley Cup final.
Instead, the 7th and 8th seeds in the East will square off for who gets to face the 1st or 2nd seed in the West. For a while I've been disgusted at the thought of the East winning...even more so now. I agree with the people joking that San Jose-Chicago is the de facto SCF, or that the East finals should be cancelled to make it the SCF. But then...no matter how bad their regular season record or how they just barely squeaked into the playoffs (Flyers because of a friggin' SHOOTOUT, on the last day of the regular season--I wanted them to lose just for that injustice)...Montreal and Philadelphia have been ferocious in the playoffs and I'm a bit scared.
The Bruins fan side of me is crushed, but the history-and-statistics-loving side of me (the same part that, when the Chicago Cubs lost horribly in their home opener in Atlanta, was amused at how, at least, it was a record-setting loss) is impressed that the sixth and seventh 3-0 playoff deficit comebacks in professional hockey history happened in the same week and involved losses for the Bruins and their ECHL affiliate, the Reading Royals. (The Bruins AHL affiliate in Providence didn't make it to the playoffs this year, for the first time in many years.) At least the Red Wings didn't do it this year too.
I want to say thanks to the Bruins fans whose blogs and Twitter have kept me informed and entertained this year, my first season truly following the team. I'm disgusted with how it ended, but I'm not a bandwagon fan; I'm not bailing on them. (Next season I'm following and sort of rooting for the Atlanta Thrashers in the East because of their Chicago Wolves affiliation, but Boston is my East Coast favorite.)
edited to add: READ THIS from Hockey Gone Wild. READ IT NOW...please.
random items on a nervous afternoon
1) Nervous because of the Flyers-Bruins game 7, of course. I'm afraid to say anything about it. Hockey Gone Wild has good coverage, of course, whereas I've barely said anything about the Bruins (or any other team) this postseason. (As I was writing this, NPR's "All Things Considered" had a piece about the game 7, quoting Mark Recchi, Milan Lucic, and talking about historic stats about series comeback. I'll link when it's posted.)
2) I'm also a little nervous about the Idaho Steelheads-Cincinnati Cyclones first ECHL playoff game tonight. Though I was more nervous about the previous rounds (selfishly wanting it to go further so I could see the Cyclones again. I might get to...).
3) The Chicago Reader (major weekly paper here) came out with its "Best of Chicago" ballot, and I noticed something:
Hmmm...isn't a Chicago team missing in the sports bar category? The, uh, winning one? I got in touch with the Reader, they admitted it was an oversight, and said they'd add it to the next online and print edition. One person CAN make a difference! About something not all that important, but hey...
4) Thursday night was the only night since NHL playoffs started with NO game on. I actually went to a movie with a friend! No games Saturday night, either--I should ask Canadians what they do when there's no Saturday "Hockey Night in Canada." (Okay, I'm never at a loss for things to do; I'm just unfortunately broke this weekend. It would have been a good night to stay in and watch sports online.)
5) We had to go to a late showing of the movie, so I didn't know till I got home well after midnight that the Celtics beat the Cavaliers in their NBA playoff series last night. I was kind of surprised that happened. I believe all ten Twitter Trending Topics for Boston were related to the game (I'd like to see that many for the Bruins). Now what do I do with the giveaway Cavs Snuggie I got at a Lake Erie Monsters game?! Wait, I never knew what to do with it in the first place. (I admit I would have been fine with Cleveland winning it all, just so they could get past the infamous Cleveland sports championship drought...)
6) I'm finally getting this computer stuff that's been troubling me for weeks fixed, so I can stop mentioning it. I shouldn't make any promises about what I'll post, but I'll hint that I have a huge backlog of NHL.com headlines, Twitter nonsense, AHL & ECHL stuff, hockey books I bought on my recent Detroit trip..
2) I'm also a little nervous about the Idaho Steelheads-Cincinnati Cyclones first ECHL playoff game tonight. Though I was more nervous about the previous rounds (selfishly wanting it to go further so I could see the Cyclones again. I might get to...).
3) The Chicago Reader (major weekly paper here) came out with its "Best of Chicago" ballot, and I noticed something:
Hmmm...isn't a Chicago team missing in the sports bar category? The, uh, winning one? I got in touch with the Reader, they admitted it was an oversight, and said they'd add it to the next online and print edition. One person CAN make a difference! About something not all that important, but hey...
4) Thursday night was the only night since NHL playoffs started with NO game on. I actually went to a movie with a friend! No games Saturday night, either--I should ask Canadians what they do when there's no Saturday "Hockey Night in Canada." (Okay, I'm never at a loss for things to do; I'm just unfortunately broke this weekend. It would have been a good night to stay in and watch sports online.)
5) We had to go to a late showing of the movie, so I didn't know till I got home well after midnight that the Celtics beat the Cavaliers in their NBA playoff series last night. I was kind of surprised that happened. I believe all ten Twitter Trending Topics for Boston were related to the game (I'd like to see that many for the Bruins). Now what do I do with the giveaway Cavs Snuggie I got at a Lake Erie Monsters game?! Wait, I never knew what to do with it in the first place. (I admit I would have been fine with Cleveland winning it all, just so they could get past the infamous Cleveland sports championship drought...)
6) I'm finally getting this computer stuff that's been troubling me for weeks fixed, so I can stop mentioning it. I shouldn't make any promises about what I'll post, but I'll hint that I have a huge backlog of NHL.com headlines, Twitter nonsense, AHL & ECHL stuff, hockey books I bought on my recent Detroit trip..
HISTORY WAS MADE! uh, if anyone cares
There was a seemingly improbable Game 7 hockey playoff game tonight and I was extremely nervous before it. No, not Canadiens-Penguins, but Reading Royals vs Cincinnati Cyclones! AND THEY DID IT! Cincinnati is the FIRST team in the 22-year history of the ECHL, and only the SIXTH team in the history of pro hockey, to come back from a 3-0 series deficit to win 4 straight games and advance--in this case, to the Kelly Cup Finals, vs the Idaho Steelheads! More on the story here. I was sad I didn't make it to an ECHL playoff game in my first year of real hockey fandom (and I've only been to one ECHL game at all), but it looks like I'll have a chance...next week. Now I'm really glad I bought that cute Cyclones hat...
And it was DOLLAR BEER NIGHT. God am I jealous of anyone who was at the game...even though the final score was a nail-biting 1-0.
I'll give a recap of the Cyclones playoffs when I have time to read a bit more about them...I know there was a notorious brawl resulting in suspensions in this series. Maybe I'll even dig up photos of players or something; the ECHL sites aren't the most picture-heavy...
Oh...and Philadelphia Flyers? Please don't get any ideas about being the seventh team, okay?
And it was DOLLAR BEER NIGHT. God am I jealous of anyone who was at the game...even though the final score was a nail-biting 1-0.
I'll give a recap of the Cyclones playoffs when I have time to read a bit more about them...I know there was a notorious brawl resulting in suspensions in this series. Maybe I'll even dig up photos of players or something; the ECHL sites aren't the most picture-heavy...
Oh...and Philadelphia Flyers? Please don't get any ideas about being the seventh team, okay?
hubris
HUBRIS: that word was in my head not long after the Blackhawks' huge 7-4 win giving them a 3-1 series lead against the Canucks on Friday night. look it up and think about it, Blackhawks fans--it's why I didn't want to assume the Hawks would win game 5, even if the Canucks seemed a psychological mess, even if it was at the United Center, even if it was Mother's Day...and it's why I don't make predictions. I would have loved if the guy who called in to WGN after the Blackhawks' game 1 loss saying the Hawks would come back to win in 5 games (to the incredulity of the host) and (I'm paraphrasing, don't recall specifics) said "Carl in Hanover Park said 5 games. Write it down!" had been right, but no...
of my teams, Blackhawks and Bruins were both up 3 games in their series and lost the next one. they still lead, though...meanwhile, both the Chicago Wolves and Cincinnati Cyclones were in do-or-die games (Wolves at home down 3-2, Cyclones on road down 3-1) and got shutout wins today. (I can't remember if I ever explained my Cyclones obsession...part of it is I'd really like them to get to the next round so I have a chance of seeing an ECHL playoff game.) so I didn't have to write any "goodbye" posts yet...I suppose I need to come up with something for Detroit, eliminated last night...
(I feel like this blog has choked in the hockey postseason even more than any team you could name [and I've got a little baseball stuff to post too]. some of it's laziness but a lot of it is computer struggles that keep me from being able to run more than one thing at once, and give up early every night. all I've got to do is back up and remove 20,000+ of my photos before the games at 6 pm Central on Monday and I should be okay! sigh...)
of my teams, Blackhawks and Bruins were both up 3 games in their series and lost the next one. they still lead, though...meanwhile, both the Chicago Wolves and Cincinnati Cyclones were in do-or-die games (Wolves at home down 3-2, Cyclones on road down 3-1) and got shutout wins today. (I can't remember if I ever explained my Cyclones obsession...part of it is I'd really like them to get to the next round so I have a chance of seeing an ECHL playoff game.) so I didn't have to write any "goodbye" posts yet...I suppose I need to come up with something for Detroit, eliminated last night...
(I feel like this blog has choked in the hockey postseason even more than any team you could name [and I've got a little baseball stuff to post too]. some of it's laziness but a lot of it is computer struggles that keep me from being able to run more than one thing at once, and give up early every night. all I've got to do is back up and remove 20,000+ of my photos before the games at 6 pm Central on Monday and I should be okay! sigh...)
game 3, Vancouver
needed to get this up as fast as possible, from @stevewsop on Twitter, symbolizing the Vancouver Canucks' loss to Chicago tonight (why hadn't I seen a Canucks fail-whale sooner? coincidentally, Twitter was down for a bit after the game tonight and fail-whaled for a while...):
(no kidding: I just had to try uploading that twice, because the first time I got a "failed" message, which I haven't gotten the entire time I've been putting images on this blog)
but more important than the Canucks losing...Blackhawks winning 5-2, with a hat trick by...Dustin Byfuglien?! his first points of the 2010 playoffs (photo via official Blackhawks Facebook page), and the Blackhawks first road-trip playoff hat trick since Denis Savard vs the St. Louis Blues in 1988:
I heard Boston won 4-1 vs the Flyers, making them the second team in the 2010 playoffs to be up 3-0. the first team? well, I saw that game in person...if there's ever a time to get photos up in a timely manner, it's for that--I'll see if my computer will even let me upload them. seeing a game in person meant I couldn't get back in time to see much of Wednesday's NHL games, but it was well worth it!
(no kidding: I just had to try uploading that twice, because the first time I got a "failed" message, which I haven't gotten the entire time I've been putting images on this blog)
but more important than the Canucks losing...Blackhawks winning 5-2, with a hat trick by...Dustin Byfuglien?! his first points of the 2010 playoffs (photo via official Blackhawks Facebook page), and the Blackhawks first road-trip playoff hat trick since Denis Savard vs the St. Louis Blues in 1988:
I heard Boston won 4-1 vs the Flyers, making them the second team in the 2010 playoffs to be up 3-0. the first team? well, I saw that game in person...if there's ever a time to get photos up in a timely manner, it's for that--I'll see if my computer will even let me upload them. seeing a game in person meant I couldn't get back in time to see much of Wednesday's NHL games, but it was well worth it!
uh-oh, gloating Blackhawks fan
well, it's okay to do this late in the game or after it, I suppose. the Blackhawks playoff performance just crystallizes why I don't engage in predictions or trash talk (and also, now I have the most disastrously awful luck in choosing playoff games to go to--sure, the first one--and horrible loss--of each series, not the glorious wins).
not much time for real blogging again, accumulating material though. photos like this (as you can tell I prefer to post my own photos and screenshots and not use news photos too often) are why I should fire up the ol' Tumblr blog again, which if you're late to A Little Chippy, you might not know is where I started. then I left because with a few exceptions I didn't know anyone there and there wasn't much of a hockey community. now EVERYONE seems to be on Tumblr instead--it's even overtaking Twitter. (oh, and just because you CAN auto-post your Tumblr posts to Twitter, doesn't mean you SHOULD, people...how about picking a few faves of the week, not dozens of images a day? just sayin'.)
technical difficulties
yes, just when I was finally in the mood to get this blog going again, and maybe even go back to the old days of responding to comments, should there be any...my computer rebelled against the ridiculous amount of stuff I run on it at any given time and sort of crashed during Tuesday night's games. I eventually got it fixed up at the Apple Store and am sorting through material so I can blog again ASAP (if I didn't now have actual games to go to). I've been imagining ridiculous scenarios like an 8th-seeded team that just barely got into the playoffs ousting the "best team" in the NHL, or an injured player coming back for his first game in months to score the overtime game-winner for his team...oh, TV-movie or ad-campaign type stuff. surely real life isn't THAT interesting...
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